Talaura sent me a link to all the museums in Oklahoma that were being sponsored for the Smithsonian Free Museum Day and I noticed that The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art was on the list. I keep saying that I want to go there and I've heard really good things about it, but there's always a reason not to go. This time, I had no excuse. Plus it's much easier to drag Chris to these things when it's FREE! The museum itself is relatively small, but what it lacks for in size it makes up for with some impressive names in art. They have several Renoir's along with the usual listing of French Impressionists such as Degas, Van Gogh and Picasso. Actual, we were able to see a Van Gogh that had never before been on display for public viewing. A private donor recently loaned it to the museum. It is one of his earlier pieces, a nice portrait of his nurse maid. The only thing I didn't like about the museum was how impossible they made it for me to not want to touch things. The French Impressionist wing is set up as if you were walking through someones home. So, along with the art, there's all this brick-a-brack and furniture and some of the paintings you can walk right up to and put your nose against them. They probably realize the temptation they've set up by putting the paintings on display in this way because they keep you well attended. The security guards were ever present and watching, but they also made good tour guides.

My favorite collection though had to be the State Department Collection which included the O'Keefe and the ones by Morris. The O'Keefe may have been small, but it made me hunger for more. I think we need to plan a trip to Santa Fe soon.